People’s right to prevent new mines, chemical plants, factories and warehouses
being built near their homes will be curtailed in new changes to planning
rules.

Nick Boles, the planning minister, also raised the prospect of more homes being built on Greenfield sites because there were not enough brownfield areas available.

The changes to fast-track planning permissions for big businesses were sketched out by Prime Minister David Cameron last month.

However, Mr Boles’ comments are the first time when ministers have set out the sort of businesses which will now find it quicker to win planning permission.

Currently, the fast-track planning process – which allows ministers to step in to approve or reject a plan after a set number of months - is confined to infrastructure projects like reservoirs and power stations.

However, Mr Boles said this would be extended to include new business and commercial premises.

He said: “The intention broadly is that we should be adding business and commercial developments of a significant scale to the infrastructure regime.”

He said it would “include big businesses, science parks, research and development facilities, storage and distribution centres, minerals extraction, major industrial developments like oil refineries and chemical works, major manufacturing plants”.

Ministers will also be able to wave through more large housing developments if they were “of such as scale that they are bigger than purely local developments”.

The plans are likely to be set out in a new Economic Development Bill, which is due to be published in coming weeks.

In his first outing as planning minister in front of a select committee, Mr Boles also conceded that greenfield areas would have to be built on to meet housing demand.

He said that green belt land, which accounts for 13 per cent of land in England, would be safe although local authorities would be able to build on some areas if they created new green belt elsewhere.

However unprotected greenfield areas were far more vulnerable to being developed because of there was not enough brownfield or previously developed sites.

He said: “Quite simply given our housing needs and given our persistent failure to build enough houses to satisfy those needs, there is not enough brownfield land.”

Mr Boles was challenged on controversial plans to double the size of one storey extensions that homeowners can build without planning permission.

Last week the Local Government Association warned the proposals would "give the green light to unsightly development" and cause "friction between neighbours".

One MP told Mr Boles the changes would allow new extensions that were “unwieldy, [with] huge light issues and a blight on the individuals who live either side of them.

“You are proposing that people will just be able to get on with that and tough on the neighbours.”

However, Mr Boles said the changes would only allow “very reasonable” extensions to allow people to “cater for a growing family”.

There would be some clear restrictions that will mean “they will not have a big effect on the right to light for neighbouring properties”.

Mr Boles called for some proportion in the debate, adding: “I don’t see it as a sort of crime against humanity.”

Last night a Department for Communities and Local Government source defended the decision to fast-track new business developments.

He said: “Having a fixed time frame gives local voices the certainty that they know how long the process will take and therefore be able to continue to voice properly their representations.”